Male: India looks forward to deepening its partnership with the Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, as he met several Maldivian leaders, including Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef.

Modi is in the Maldives on a two-day visit. His discussions with Latheef touched upon key pillars of the India-Maldives ties, including cooperation in infrastructure, technology and energy.

"Our nations continue to work closely in sectors like infrastructure, technology, climate change, energy and more. This is greatly beneficial to our people. We look forward to deepening this partnership in the years to come," Modi posted on X.

The Prime Minister conveyed wishes on the 60th anniversary of Independence Day of the Maldives. He also graced the celebrations as the guest of honour. "Both sides exchanged views on the deep-rooted & special relationship.

V-P Latheef thanked PM for India's continued assistance to Maldives in times of need," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post. Latheef said it was an honour to call on the Indian prime minister. "As this year marks 60 years of formal diplomatic relations with India, the Prime Minister and I reflected on the journey of friendship and reciprocal support our countries have taken. I hope that the strong cooperation with India continues to grow and strengthen," Latheef said.

Modi also met Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People's Majlis (the Maldivian Parliament). "Talked about the deep-rooted India-Maldives friendship, including the close relationship between our respective Parliaments," Modi said. He also welcomed the formation of the India-Maldives Parliamentary Friendship Group in the 20th Majlis. "India remains committed to supporting capacity building in the Maldives," the Prime Minister said.

The Speaker thanked Modi for India's continued commitment to enhancing ties with the Maldives and between the two democracies, Jaiswal said. Modi also interacted with the Indian community in the Maldives and commended their contribution to the Indian Ocean archipelago's progress.

"The Indian diaspora continues to be one of the strongest bridges between India and the world. We are very proud of our diaspora," he said in a post on X. Jaiswal said on X that the Prime Minister appreciated the diaspora's contributions in "building upon the strong and vibrant people-to-people ties between India and the Maldives.

The Indian community in Maldives is a key pillar of the enduring India-Maldives friendship." He also interacted with the beneficiaries of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme, which focuses on capacity building. "The group included police officials, government officials, paramedics and nurses. They truly embody the spirit of the India-Maldives friendship and the deep-rooted ties that unite our two nations," he said on X.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi also met former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed. "He (Nasheed) has always been a strong advocate of a deeper India-Maldives friendship. Spoke about how the Maldives will always be a valued pillar of our ‘Neighbourhood First' policy and Mahasagar vision," he said.